Sinclair A-bike comes to the commuter rescue

Sir Clive Sinclair is probably best known for the Sinclair C5. It's a hard world, as this was also the invention that practially sent him spiralling down the toilet. But, his latest invention, the folding A-bike, holds a little more promise.

So named because of it’s “A”-like shape, the manufacturers claim the uniquely styled A-bike feels much like a normal bike to ride, however, unlike other folding bikes it can easily be slipped into a bag while you hop on the tube, train, bus, or even a plane. A-bike is half the weight, half the size and half the price of any other folding bike. The A-bike weighs in at only 5.5 kilograms (12 pounds) and folds so small can be fitted into a sports bag.

Clive Sinclair explains: “The principle use for the A-bike is city or town travel over relatively short journeys but also very much for mixed-mode journeys where you’re hopping on and off a bus or a train. For example a typical commuter needs to get from home to local station and then from destination to his or her office and all without any worries about portability, parking or security”.

“The key to its successful introduction”, adds chief designer, Alex Kalogroulis, “is an entirely fresh approach to the main challenge: how to minimise weight and optimise foldability while retaining full functionality. At the heart of the solution are light, highly-reliable telescopic tubes coupled with telescoping brake cables”.